Frederick F. Houser

Frederick Francis Houser (April 11, 1905 – December 25, 1989) was a California politician and judge. A Republican, he served as 34th Lieutenant Governor of California under governor Earl Warren between 1943 and 1947.[1]

Frederick Houser
34th Lieutenant Governor of California
In office January 4, 1943 – January 6, 1947
Governor	Earl Warren
Preceded by	Ellis E. Patterson
Succeeded by	Goodwin Knight
Member of the California State Assembly
In office 1931–1933
In office 1939–1943
Personal details
Born	April 11, 1905
Died	December 25, 1989 (aged 84)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Eleanor Bodinus (m. 1925)
Relations	Frederick W. Houser (father)
Alma mater	University of California at Los Angeles Harvard Law School
Profession	Attorney Judge

Early years

Houser was born in Los Angeles, California on November 14, 1904, the son of California Court of Appeals Justice Frederick W. Houser and Sara Wilde, both of whom were active participants in the early years of what is now the USC Gould School of Law.[2] Houser was raised in Alhambra, California,[3] and graduated from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in 1926.[2] He taught government at Harvard University while attending Harvard Law School from 1926 to 1929, and he graduated with an LL.B.[2] Houser was admitted to the bar in 1930, and practiced law until 1946. Houser was UCLA's student body president from 1925 to 1926, served as president of the UCLA alumni association 1933–1935, and won the school's Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year Award in 1948.[2]

Career

From 1926 to 1940, Houser was a member of the Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee.[2] From 1930 to 1940, he served on the California Republican State Central Committee.[2] He served in the California State Assembly from 1931 to 1933 and again from 1939 to 1943.[2] Houser was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 1932, 1934, and 1936.[2]

In 1942, Houser was elected lieutenant governor.[2] He served until 1947, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1944, losing narrowly to incumbent Sheridan Downey.[4]

Judge

After leaving the lieutenant governor's office, Houser was appointed as a judge of the California Superior Court.[2] He served from 1947 until retiring in 1966.[3]

Retirement and death

In retirement, Houser was a resident of Laguna Beach, California.[3] He died in Laguna Beach on December 25, 1989.[3]

Family

In 1925, Houser married Dorothy Eleanor Bodinus, a fellow UCLA student.[5] She died in 1996, and they had no children.[5]

Notes

1. "Electoral History, Frederick F. Houser".
2. "Biography, Frederick Francis Houser".
3. "F. F. Houser, 85; Superior Court Judge, Lt. Governor, Legislator".
4. "California US Senate Race, 1944".
5. "Obituary, Mrs. Frederick F. Houser".

Sources

Internet

• "Biography, Frederick Francis Houser". Finding Aid for the Frederick Francis Houser Papers. Sacramento, CA: Online Archives of California. 1975. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
• "Electoral History, Frederick F. Houser". JoinCalifornia. Sacramento, CA: Alex Vassar & Shane Meyers. 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
• "California US Senate Race, 1944". ourcampaigns.com. Our Campaigns.com. 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.

Newspapers

• "F. F. Houser, 85; Superior Court Judge, Lt. Governor, Legislator". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. December 29, 1989.
• "Obituary, Mrs. Frederick F. Houser". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. December 21, 1996 – via Newspapers.com.